By Erik Gudris | Saturday, October 25, 2014
Simona Halep outclassed Agnieszka Radwanska in their semifinal in Singapore. The Romanian now awaits Serena Williams in Sunday's final.
Photo Credit: AP
At the end of 2013, Simona Halep told her parents said she wanted to play in the "big one". By that, she meant the WTA Finals in Singapore. Making her debut at the year-end WTA event this year, Halep is now into the last stage of the event with a chance to win her biggest career title yet.
To get there, Halep had to contend with surprise semifinalist Agnieszka Radwanska. Each lost their previous matches in the final round robin stage, but the intricacies of that cumulative scoring system pitted them against each other in this semifinal.
Though both players possess similar games filled with spin, craft, and guile, it was Halep who was a class above right from the start. Halep started strong in the opening set securing an early break. Soon, the Romanian was up 4-1 and looked on her way to a quick set.
Radwanska managed to get another game, but couldn't stop Halep taking the set 6-2.
The second set was a carbon copy of the first with Halep enjoying an early break lead right away. Halep, broke Radwanska's serve five times and struck 26 winners on the day.
Her final one being an emphatic smash putaway to seal the 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Having endured a tough three set loss to Ana Ivanovic the other day, Halep entered this match wanting to finish points quicker.
"I knew I had to run a lot and play very quick points," Halep said in an on-court interview on her win over Radwanska.
Now Halep faces a familiar opponent in Sunday's final -- two-time defending champion Serena Williams.
Halep handed Williams her worst defeat in over 16 years earlier in the week in the round robin stage. Yet, in an ironic twist, by Halep taking a set off of Ivanovic on Friday that allowed Williams to qualify for the semifinals. Williams earlier defeated Caroline Wozniacki in a three set thriller 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) to reach her third consecutive year-end championships final.
Halep, with a chance to win her biggest career title perhaps again with a win over Williams, is just looking forward to the final. "I'm prepared and I just want to enjoy the final."